A New Team Leader?

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"Never. Find someone else—I'm too busy."

Tsunade flatly refused. What a joke! The medical department alone had her overwhelmed, and adding the responsibilities of the Anbu Black Ops would practically be signing her own death warrant.

As for Sakumo's application, Tsunade was utterly speechless. Why didn't he do this earlier? Now that everything was finally settling into place, was he just here to snatch the fruits of others' labor?

"Alright, I'll handle it."

Among his three disciples, this position was undoubtedly most suited to Tsunade. Jiraiya, with his free-spirited nature, would never survive as the head of the Anbu Black Ops—being cooped up in the Anbu headquarters day and night, patrolling the village, ensuring the safety of the Hokage's office, and carrying out special missions would practically be a death sentence for him.

Orochimaru… The Third Hokage sighed silently when he thought of this brilliant but enigmatic disciple.

But the biggest headache was still Tsunade. Since she outright refused to take on the position, the Third Hokage had no choice but to let it go.

"Also, what do you think about Sakumo's application?"

The conversation quickly returned to Sakumo. After voluntarily stepping down from his position as head of the Anbu Black Ops, Sakumo had submitted another request.

However, this new application was baffling. To put it bluntly, it felt like Sakumo was deliberately lowering himself in a way that was hard to accept.

Originally, the Third Hokage had expected Sakumo to step down from his role as head of the Anbu Black Ops—it was inevitable, given the backlash from recent events. While the incident would remain a stain on his reputation, there were still plenty of opportunities for Sakumo to shine elsewhere. Who would've thought he'd submit such a perplexing request?

"Do whatever you want."

With an unceremonious roll of her eyes, Tsunade turned on her heels and left, her high heels clicking against the floor. The Third Hokage didn't seem to mind, quietly putting away the documents.

Could it be that my words truly changed Sakumo? Preventing him from meeting the same fate as in the original story?

It seemed the impact of those words had been greater than anticipated. Still, Sakumo's death would have been a significant loss for Konoha. With his strength, he undoubtedly would have shone brightly during the Third Shinobi World War.

Unfortunately, the position of Hokage was now completely out of reach for him.

Even if time passed and the villagers gradually forgot about the incident, aspiring for the Hokage's seat was now nothing more than a pipe dream. Fortunately, while everyone was criticizing him, it wasn't as though he had committed any unforgivable crimes. Over time, everything would fade away.

"I heard we're getting a new team leader—is that true?"

Early in the morning, the three members of Tsunade's team received a message from the Hokage's office. Their current team leader, Tsunade, was being replaced due to her overwhelming workload at the medical department. That was the official reason, at least.

As for the real reason behind the change, it was beyond the comprehension of the three students.

"Yes, but the reason is vague."

Ronglin spread his hands, indicating his lack of knowledge. Though he had the closest relationship with Tsunade among the three, all she had said that morning was to keep working hard and not slack off—nothing more.

"I wonder what kind of teacher our new leader will be. Will they be handsome? Tall? Tall guys are the coolest!"

Haruno Sakura began fantasizing, completely oblivious to the darkening expression on her boyfriend Shikamaru Ei's face.

"..."

Idiotic!

That was the only way Ronglin could describe her. If he had to add another word, it would be clueless. Hadn't she noticed the look on Shikamaru Ei's face, which was as grim as if his parents had died?

And yet, she kept rambling on, lost in her own fantasies.

"Hey, good morning, everyone! I didn't expect you all to be so punctual—I'm the one who's late. My apologies."

Just as Haruno Sakura was muttering to herself, speculating about what their new teacher might look like, a somewhat familiar voice rang out from a short distance away.

"Huh...?"

Ronglin turned around and froze. Haruno Sakura and Shikamaru Ei, on the other hand, were visibly excited. The person standing before them was none other than Hatake Sakumo, the legendary White Fang of Konoha—a shadow-level powerhouse. Despite his tarnished reputation recently, that didn't diminish their admiration for him.

No wonder Tsunade had given him such a strange look that morning, leaving him utterly confused. So this was the reason!

But why had Sakumo become the new leader of Tsunade's team? Even after stepping down from his previous position, he still had plenty of options—like training rookies.

Ronglin shook his head with a wry smile, feeling a bit bewildered.

"Hehe~ It seems you're all quite surprised. That puts me at ease. Honestly, taking over Tsunade's team is a huge responsibility for me."

Sakumo smiled warmly, glancing briefly at Ronglin. His words sent Shikamaru Ei and Haruno Sakura into a frenzy of excitement.

Master Sakumo is praising us!!

The two troublemakers, Shikamaru Ei and Haruno Sakura, nearly fainted from happiness, much to Ronglin's exasperation as he rolled his eyes repeatedly.

"Hehe~"

Though Sakumo's smile appeared gentle, whether it carried any hidden meaning was something only he knew. At the very least, Ronglin sensed there might be a small issue lurking beneath the surface.

"Alright, since I'm now your new team leader, let's get acquainted."

"My name is Hatake Sakumo, but you can call me Sensei or White Fang—either works."

"Sensei, I'm Haruno Sakura. I was born in spring..."

"Sensei, I'm Shikamaru Ei."

"Uchiha Ronglin."

"Why did you interrupt me?!"

Haruno Sakura frowned, clearly annoyed that Shikamaru Ei had cut her off. She pouted, looking indignant.

Shikamaru Ei's lips twitched, but wisely, he chose not to respond. Never argue with a woman—this rule applied just as well to teenage girls.

A wise decision indeed. Ronglin gave Shikamaru Ei an approving glance.

Like other teams, Tsunade's squad consisted of two boys and one girl. Haruno Sakura specialized in medical ninjutsu, though her skills in that area were abysmal. On the path of a shinobi, boys tended to outnumber girls, but the opposite was true for medical ninjas.

"Alright, introductions are over. I reviewed your files before coming here. Haruno Sakura is a medical ninja, Shikamaru Ei shows promising strength, and Uchiha Ronglin has awakened the Sharingan, which can be used for reconnaissance and enemy control. Overall, you're a strong team."

The next moment, Sakumo's warm smile vanished, and his tone became formal. "Today marks the first mission under my leadership, and it will last for a very, very long time. It may continue until one of you leaves—or dies."

"I know this might make you uncomfortable, but I have to say it: Do your best and don't hold others back, even though you're a team!"